Top U.S. and Afghan officials don't focus exclusively on the grim statistics, but also on the more implicit signs of optimism-especially what they consider a surprising three-day cease fire earlier this month, when Taliban fighters took selfie photos with Afghan soldiers across the country...

In Kabul yesterday, Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman for Ghani, repeated the government's oft-stated position that peace talks should be "Afghan owned and Afghan led, any assistance the allies provide (would be in) a supportive role".

"The discussion was preliminary, initial and both discussed a future meeting and contacts", said the official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The Taleban have long demanded direct talks with Washington, saying they do not want to talk politics with the United States but instead meet face to face to discuss Washington's concerns, particularly its security concerns about the Taleban and Taleban involvement in Afghanistan's future.

A Taliban official has said that a meeting with a high ranking USA diplomat aimed at a ceasefire was concluded with "very positive signals".

A solution to ending the 17 year long war in Afghanistan may be closer than ever before, as Taliban leaders praise direct talks with the U.S.

A general view of the Taliban office in Doha, Qatar. And despite protests by Khan that extremism in Pakistan would not have arisen without the U.S.' "War on Terror", the Pakistani political establishment and its intelligence establishment have employed terror as a state policy long before 9/11.

It is not clear when the next meeting would be held, but they were certain there would be one.

NYT noted that the Taliban have long maintained an informal "political office" in Doha for the objective of restarting the long-dormant peace process.

Trump's surrender in the country comes as an acknowledgement that he can not lead the American military to victory over the terrorists responsible for the most traumatic attack ever launched against the US government on American soil.

During a news conference last month in Brussels, Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., the commander of the American-led coalition in Afghanistan, said remote outposts were being overrun by the Taliban, which was seizing local forces' vehicles and equipment.

The United States and Afghanistan are also trying to arrange a second ceasefire with the Taliban over Eidul Azha.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration told its senior diplomats that they could kick start the process of negotiations with the Taliban.

This week's meeting involved several members of the Taliban political commission, Ms Wells and other unidentified American diplomats, the report added.

His release was eventually secured in May 2014 in exchange for the five Taleban prisoners, who are living in Doha.

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